Add Columns in Excel

You might find yourself working with a set of data containing multiple columns, and need to add additional columns. Fortunately, this is easy to do in a spreadsheet. Let’s learn how to add columns in Microsoft Excel.

How to Add a Single Column in Excel

In Excel, you can add one or more columns to any dataset. Let’s first look at how to add a single column. Imagine that you have two columns of data, columns D and E. You may want to place a third column between the two.

To do so, click on the column header for column E. In this case, it’s the letter E immediately above cell E1. This highlights and selects the entirety of column E. Then, on Excel’s Home tab, find the Insert button.

Click on it. Watch as the data in column E shifts into column F, and Excel inserts a brand-new, empty column E. Excel automatically recognized that you had a column selected, and knew to insert another one.

Hint: When you need to insert a column, always select the column or columns to the immediate right to ensure Excel places the column(s) where you want.

How to Add Multiple Columns in Excel

Now, imagine that you needed to add three columns instead of just one. The process is very similar. Repeat by selecting column E again by clicking on the header. Then, hold down Shift on your keyboard, and click on column G. The key is to select the same number columns that you want to add.

Finally, repeat the earlier step by clicking Insert on the Home tab. Watch as Excel inserts three new columns in the middle of your data. This trick works for as many columns as you want.

As you can see, Excel makes it easy to add columns to any dataset.